A/N: I don't own any of the characters, except Kelsey, she's all mine

Behind closed doors many things can happen. Behind the closed door of the Borrow, the Weasley family mourned Ron's death. Behind the closed door of an empty room in Hogwarts, Hermione cried over the same person. Why had so young a person had to die in the bloody war? So many people had died the day before, and each was a stab in the heart to those who still lived. Survivor's guilt. Many had it. But time heals all wounds, and that's exactly what happened to the remaining membors of the Golden Trio.

ooo

Two years later:

Behind the closed door of Number 14 Grover's Street, Hermione Granger and Kelsey Hawkins were preparing to leave for their jobs at the Ministry. Both women worked in the Department of Magical Creatures, and that is where they became friends. It was nearly eight o'clock when they apparated from their living room to the Diagon Alley, where they would meet up with the boys.

ooo

Behind the closed door of number 36 Tantum's Lane, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were enjoying their morning coffee. Yes, you read that correctly, dear reader. After the war, Harry and Draco had become the best of friends, and Aurors. Draco had been secretly working for the Order during the war against Lord Voldemort, though no one knew this until many days after the Battle of Hogwarts. But after numerous apologies, Harry and Hermione forgave the Slytherin Prince, and even befriended him. In a world where he was all alone, he found friends. The two men finished their coffee and then apparated to Diagon Alley.

ooo

"Harry, Draco! There you are!" Kelsey exclaimed when she and Hermione finally spotted the two men in the crowded Diagon Alley.

"Good morning, ladies," Draco said with his infamous smirk. He had changed in many ways since the war, but the smirk never left.

"Oh, lay off it, Draco. You're not my type," Kelsey said laughing.

"I was just saying good morning," he said, feigning hurt.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at him. "Well good morning to you too, then."

After they all said good morning to each other, they headed to the Ministry to begin their days.

As soon as Harry and Draco had left to go to the Aurors' office, Hermione sighed. Kelsey looked at her friend with a grin. "You have to tell him how you feel."

"You're kidding, right?" Hermione asked. "He doesn't like him. He can't."

"Darling, you are so thick sometimes. Whenever we're together he can't take his eyes off you," she told her.

"That's a lie," Hermione said, knitting her brow.

"Fine, don't believe me then."

"I won't because it's not true. Draco Malfoy would never go for a girl like me," she said as she sat at her desk.

ooo

"She'd never go for a guy like me," Draco told Harry sadly.

"A guy like you? Every girl wants a guy like you, Draco. I'm sure Hermione does too," Harry tried to convince his friend as they rode the elevator down to their offices.

"She's out of my league, Harry. Can't you see that?"

"I can't because it's not true."

With one last sigh, Draco walked into his office and closed the door. And behind that closed door, Draco propped his feet up on his desk, and let his mind wander to the beautiful Hermione Granger.

ooo

"I'm going home, Hermione. I'll see you there, ok?" Kelsey said many hours later.

Hermione didn't even bother looking up from a file she was reading as she nodded to her friend. "I'll be home after I finish this up."

As Kelsey walked through the Atrium, she spotted Harry walking by himself. "Draco working late again?" she asked him.

"He works late every day, just like our darling book worm," he said with a smile.

"They really do work too much. They need to just take a day off and relax."

"Maybe they could relax together. Perhaps on a date?" Harry said mischievously.

"Draco is too shy around her to ask her out, and she's too shy to even ask him to get a cup of tea," Kelsey ranted.

"Then we'll just have to take the wheel in this matter. If we leave it up to fate, those two will be forever dancing around one another."

ooo

"Hermione, you're going on a date tomorrow."

"Me? Go on a date?" Hermione asked. "You know I don't have time for that, Kelsey."

"Tomorrow you're coming home with me at the normal time, no working extra hours. We'll get you all dressed up and pretty, and then you're going to go The Flaming Brew at 8 o'clock."

"But-"

"No buts, Hermione. You need to relax a little, and this is just the thing. Besides, he's cute."

ooo

And just like that it was the next evening, and Hermione was getting ready for her date. In the very back of her closet she found the black dress she wore for George's birthday party last summer. It was strapless, and reached midway down her thigh. Not too fancy, perfect for her date.

Oh, her date! This was the last thing Hermione wanted to be doing right now. She'd rather be working or reading, anything besides meeting up with some guy who wouldn't suit her at all.

'What if it's Draco?' she thought to herself as she brushed her hair. 'He would have asked me himself if it was true. And Kelsey would have told me.'

"If I'm not back by 10, call the ministry," Hermione called as she walked out the door.

ooo

Draco sat nervously at the table Harry had reserved for him and his date. His date. He was dreading this like a first year Slytherin dreaded going to Potions with Gryffindors. The only woman he wanted to be on a date with right now was currently still at work. She always worked extra hours. The pay didn't matter to her, just bringing justice to house elves and other magical creatures. She was such a book worm, and yet he couldn't help but think of her as a wonder, beautiful, magnificent, adorable bookworm… that just so happened to be standing in front of him in a black dress, her curly hair framing her face.

"You- you're my date?" she asked in a small voice.

"Only if you're mine," he said with a shy smile as he got up and helped her into her seat across from him.

"Kelsey," Hermione muttered agitated. This had to be some kind of cruel joke on her friend's part. She knew Hermione was half in love with Draco, so she set up a date, knowing she'd make a fool of herself.

"Potter," Draco muttered back. Harry was a name he would use when his friend helped him, but not when he was trying to make a fool out of him like now.

"I should have known he would have something to do with this. He's always meddling with things that need not be meddled in," she sighed.

Draco couldn't help but laugh at her remark. "What are you laughing at, mister?"

"You," he said simply.

"Has my lip stick smudged across my face without me realizing it? Does my hair look like I've just gone for a tumble in the hay?" she asked.

"No, you look beautiful. I was laughing at your evaluation of Harry," he said.

"Oh," she said, looking at him wide-eyed. Had he just really called her beautiful?

"May I take your order?" a waitress said just then, appearing at their table.

"I'd like the Veal Parmesan, please, and a glass of your sweetest red wine," he said looking at the menu.

"And you, miss?" the waitress asked.

"The same, please," Hermione said politely.

"So, where were we?" Draco asked, leaning his elbows on the table and looking at her.

"Umm… you said something about Harry and honestly, I don't remember," Hermione said, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

"You probably remember every single potion we made in fifth year, but you can't remember our conversation from five minutes ago," Draco said with a chuckle.

"Sorry, I'm just still in shock over being on a date with you. Don't you usually go for the tall shapely blondes?" Hermione said.

"And don't you usually go for the redheads?" he countered, an edge entering his voice.

"Clearly, you don't want to be here. You were probably expecting a blonde Harry found for you, not the dumpy ol' bookworm. I'll be going then," she said as stood from the table.

Draco watched her walk away before his body caught up with his mind and he ran after her.
When he reached the street he looked frantically for her, and then he saw her. She was sitting on a bench across the road, her head in her hands.

"Hermione!" he called, but she couldn't hear him over the din of the street.

Weaving through the crowded street, Draco finally reached her and sat beside her on the bench. "When I saw you standing in front of me, there was no place I wanted to be than right there."

"Do you really mean that, Draco?" Hermione asked, slowly raising her head to look at him. She wasn't crying yet, but her eyes were overly bright with unshed tears.

"Every single word, love," he said with a smile. "Now let's go enjoy our dinner, okay?" He stood and offered her his hand, and she took it, a smile brightening her face.

The rest of their night went smoothly. They laughed and joked like they had been friends all their lives, not just recently. They reminisced about their old days at Hogwarts, before The Battle.

"Remember that time I punched you in the face?" Hermione giggled as she sipped her wine.

"How could I forget?" he asked, sticking his tongue out at her like a little kid. "I deserved it though. All those lies I said, all the mean words. I'm sorry, Hermione," he said taking her hand from across the table. "Forgive me?"

"Of course," she said with a small smile.

ooo

After Draco had paid for their food, he asked if he could walk her home.

"That's hardly necessary, but thank you," Hermione said, and then they were off.

Draco walked her all the way up to the door to her and Kelsey's apartment. "Good night, Draco. Thank you for the wonderful evening."

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Draco grabbed her free had. Without saying a word, he lightly tugged her to him and kissed her. His soft lips molded over hers perfectly as she sank into a heaven she had never known before.

Suddenly Draco pulled away. "I'm sorry," he whispered before he disapparated from the spot.

Hermione looked at the spot where he had stood just a moment ago, and then walked into her apartment.

"How'd it go?" Kelsey asked from the couch in the living room.

"I don't want to talk about it," Hermione said before disappearing into her room. From behind the closed door Kelsey could hear her friend's sobs.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

ooo

The next day when Kelsey, and the silent Hermione, met up with Harry, there was no Draco in sight. Harry said Draco wasn't feeling well. Hermione hoped he was alright. "I'll bring over some potions later," she offered before she and Harry parted ways for the day.

"I'm sure he's fine, Hermione," Kelsey consoled.

That day, Hermione was one of the first people to leave the office at the end of the day. She immediately apparated home, grabbed a few potions that would help with stomach or head aches, and then grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

As she stepped out of the fireplace in Harry and Draco's living room, she saw Draco. He was pacing back and forth, clothed in only a pair of jeans. Hermione took a moment to admire his toned muscles from years of playing Quidditch before she spoke. "You don't look very sick to me."

"Hermione?" he asked in shock.

"Last time I checked, that was my name," she said. "I'll just put these potions on the counter, incase you need them for a time when you actually don't feel good."

Draco watched her walk into the kitchen and just as she was passing him to floo back to her apartment, he spoke. "Please, forgive me for last night, Hermione. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"There's no need to apologize, Draco. I've wanted that kiss for the past two years," she admitted, looking into the flames in the fireplace.

"Really?" he asked, hope coloring his words.

Hermione said nothing, but simply nodded. From behind her she could hear Draco's laugh. When she turned around, confusion showing on her face, she saw that Draco's eyes sparkled and he looked so happy.

"I've wanted that kiss for all that time too, Hermione. I never thought you'd want it though," he said as he came towards her.

As he wrapped his arms around her, Hermione sighed contentedly. This is where she belonged. When she looked up into his grey eyes, he brought his lips to hers. For moments and moments their lips teased one another, until the sound of someone clearing their throat brought them back to reality.

"Hey, guys," Harry said with a chuckled as they turned their surprised voices towards him. "Took you two long enough."

Hermione's cheeks turned bright red. "I'll just be going now. I hope you feel better, Draco." Without another word, Hermione flooed away from the scene.

ooo

The next day, when she and Kelsey met up with the boys, she was greeted with a dazzling smile from Draco. As they walked, he and Hermione fell back a bit from Harry and Kelsey. Draco took her smaller hand in his larger one, and gently kissed it. As they walked they were oblivious to their surroundings. Together they stepped into an empty elevator, leaving the crowded Atrium, and their friends, behind. As the doors closed on the couple,
they embraced.

Behind closed doors their lips met in a passionate kiss.